appendix 1: hmh k-6 citations referred to iqc ... · appendix 1: hmh k-6 citations referred to iqc...

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Appendix 1: HMH K-6 citations referred to IQC recommendation to reject

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Present text Evaluation Criteria violated & Academic Justification

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Were Unicorns Real? [Social Content Violation Category 1.2 & 1.10].

This question on the cover mocks Hindus by implying that Hindus

believe in Unicorns. Just because Indus-Sarasvati valley seals show

a unicorn does not mean that they believed in unicorns. Hindu

temples were vast complexes and something similar is provided for

the Christianity & Rome's legacies section

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How's Your Karma Doing? [Social Content Violation Category 1.10].

Such a question mocks a key religious concept of Hinduism. The

cover page on other religions presents snippets from those groups

respectfully and without mockery.

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Stepping off the Steppes [Social Content Violation Category 1.4].

Privileges the discredited Aryan invasion theory wherein IE speakers

came from the Steppes.

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[Social Content Violation Category 1.4, 1.10].

Unclear why a picture with Indra w/ eyes all over his body is shown w/

a physically impossible sword. The picture comes across as mocking

especially compared to other covers which show the greatness of

other civilizations.

5 2 No one knows for sure how people lived

thousands of years ago in India. Compared

with other ancient civilizations, India didn't

leave many clues behind.

[Social Content Violation Category 1.10].

The current text makes it appear that there are few artefacts from

Ancient India. This is incorrect. What are missing are tombs with

treasures, and written records. Otherwise, there is a lot of pottery,

terracotta images, ruined cities and so on. For that matter, there are

hardly any ancient written records from China during the same period

(other than texts on bones), but the text makes it appear otherwise.

6 2 But the civilization that arose along the Indus

River is different, because there's so much we

don't know.

[Social Content Violation Category 1.2 & 1.10].

The Sarasvati River is mentioned in the HSS framework, and

accounts for 60% of the sites of the Harappan Civilization (~1000

sites). Why can’t the Indian civilization originate between two rivers

when the Mesopotamian can originate between Tigris and Euphrates?

There are only 15 are on the Indus plain itself. Therefore, it is

misleading and antiquated to refer to only the Indus River.

It would be helpful to add a map showing the courses of these two

rivers.

3

For information on the Sarasvati River, refer:

Chakrabarti, Dilip and Saini, Sukhdev. 2009. The Problem of the

Sarasvati River and Notes on the Archaeological Geography of

Haryana and Indian Punjab. Aryan Books International: New Delhi

Michel Danino, 2010. The Lost River. Penguin Books: New Delhi

See also: McIntosh, Jane R. 2002. A Peaceful Realm- The Rise and

Fall of the Indus Civilization. Westview Press: Boulder (Colorado)

She says –

“…Suddenly it became apparent that the “Indus” Civilization was a

misnomer – although the Indus had played a major role in the

development of the civilization, the “lost Saraswati” River, judging by

the density of settlement along its banks, had contributed an equal or

greater part to its prosperity. Many people today refer to this early

state as the “Indus-Sarswati Civilization” and continuing references to

the “Indus Civilization” should be seen as an abbreviation in which the

“Saraswati” is implied.” (Page 24)

“…there are some fifty sites known along the Indus whereas the

Saraswati has almost 1,000. This is actually misleading figure

because erosion and alluviation has between them destroyed or

deeply buried the greater part of settlements in the Indus Valley itself,

but there can be no doubt that the Saraswati system did yield a high

proportion of the Indus people’s agricultural produce.” (page 53)

Most western archaeologists now understand that the civilization

largely existed outside the Indus valley. Therefore, some of them (e.g.

Dilip Chakrabarti ) omit the word ‘Valley’ and call it ‘Indus Civilization’,

whereas others use ‘Indus – Sarasvati Civilization’.

The latter is the preferred term used by a vast majority of

archaeologists based within India. It also highlights the fact that the

Sarasvati river formed the epicenter of this culture. Most Indian

4

Archaeologists, who are doing the actual work of excavation in India,

have already adopted this term.

A neutral term used alternately everywhere is ‘Harappan Culture’

following archaeological conventions.

7 2 The Indus Valley civilization [Social Content Violation Category 1.2 & 1.10].

See #6

8 3 “Another sign of planning, besides the

carefully laid-out cities, was the system of

weights and measures that developed in the

Indus Valley.”


For replacing ‘Indus Valley’, see justification in #6

9 4 The Indus Valley civilization [Social Content Violation Category 1.2 & 1.10].

See #6

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4 have two major cities – Mohenjo-Daro and,

400 miles to the northeast, Harappa.”


It is wrong to suggest that only Harappa and Mohenjodaro were ‘major

settlements’, when in fact archaeologists speak of at least five major

sites. The students should not be made to infer, as 50 year old texts

on archaeology stated, that there are only two major Harappan cities.

Adding more cities to the list and on the map will make students fully

appreciate the geographical extent of the Harappan culture.

See any of the following books that also list cities in addition to

Harappa and Mohenjodaro:

Possehl, Gregory L.; 1999; Indus Age – The Beginnings; University of

Pennsylvania Press; Philadelphia

Possehl, Gregory. 2002. The Indus Civilization. Walnut Creek

(California): Alta Mira Press

5

McIntosh, Jane R. 2002. A Peaceful Realm- The Rise and Fall of the

Indus Civilization. Boulder (Colorado): Westview Press

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5 Ancient people of the Indus Valley [Social Content Violation Category 1.10].

For replacing ‘Indus Valley’, see justification in #6

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5 “Archaeologists have found many thousands

of these postage-stamp-size stone seals in the

ruins of Mohenjo-Daro.”


The current text makes it appear that only Mohenjodaro has yield

seals, whereas in fact they have been found distributed in dozens of

Harappan sites.

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5 “Throughout the Indus Valley, archaeologists

have discovered seals depicting an animal

with a single horn.”


The Unicorn seals are found on several Harappan sites outside of the

Indus Valley as well.

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7 Archaeologists have uncovered public baths in

most other Indus cities.”


The public bath is a feature of ONLY one city, Mohenjodaro.

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8 The Indus Valley civilization lasted about

1,000 years.


The Indus Sarasvati Civilization lasted around 5,700+ years. The

statement is inaccurate and relies on 50-year old research at best

There is no such thing as the Indus Valley civilization. It is referred to

as the 'Harappan Culture' by archeologists and as the Indus Sarasvati

Civilization.

6

Rao states the following and is supported by Sarkar et al. (2016), who

also refer to a proposal by Possehl, and various radiocarbon dates

from other sites presents the following dates:

7000 – 3300 BCE = Pre-Harappan (Mehrgarh)

3300 – 2600 BCE = Early Harappan

2600 - 2500 BCE = Early-Mature Harappan

2500 – 1900 BCE = Mature Harappan

1900 – 1300 BCE = Posturban Harappan

By 1900BCE, the civilization started breaking down, and it was only by

1500 BCE or even later that we see the cultural traits vanish in

archaeological record. In some places, these traits survive even as

late as 1300 BCE. See Jonathan Mark Kenoyer. 1998. Ancient Cities

of the Indus Civilization. OUP; pp. 160-161.

It is also wrong to suggest that all we know comes from Harappa and

Mohenjodaro, when archaeologists speak of at least five major sites

and thousands of minor ones that have been studied. The students

should not be made to infer, as 50 year old texts on archaeology

stated, that there are only two major Harappan cities. Adding more

7

cities to the list and on the map will make students fully appreciate the

geographical extent of the Harappan culture.

See any of the following books that also list cities in addition to

Harappa and Mohenjodaro:

Possehl, Gregory L.; 1999; Indus Age – The Beginnings; University of

Pennsylvania Press; Philadelphia

Possehl, Gregory. 2002. The Indus Civilization. Walnut Creek

(California): Alta Mira Press

McIntosh, Jane R. 2002. A Peaceful Realm- The Rise and Fall of the

Indus Civilization. Boulder (Colorado): Westview Press

Gupta, S.P. (1999), "The dawn of civilisation", in Pande, G.C.;

Chattophadhyaya, D.P., History of Science, Philosophy and Culture in

Indian Civilization, vol I Part 1, New Delhi: Centre for Studies in

Civilizations

Dikshit, K.N. (2013), "Origin of Early Harappan Cultures in the

Sarasvati Valley: Recent Archaeological Evidence and Radiometric

Dates" (PDF), Journal of IndIan ocean archaeology no. 9, 2013

Sarkar, Anindya (2016), "Oxygen isotope in archaeological bioapatites

from India: Implications to climate change and decline of Bronze Age

Harappan civilization", Nature Scientific reports

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8 One reason for its collapse may have been

changes in the flow of the Indus and other

rivers, making some places too dry for

farming.


This comment leaves students assuming that that was the end of the

civilization and a brand-new civilization came up near the Ganges with

no relation to the Harappa civilization. An alternate theory (and

8

conventionally accepted view) is that the drying up of the Sarasvati

River after 1900 BCE left most of the settlements of this civilization

without water. Most people therefore moved east towards the Ganges,

which still had a good supply of water. After several centuries, the

plains of the Ganges River became the new center of the Indian

Civilization. Numerous cities and kingdoms started arising in that area

after 900 BCE. Some people of the Indus Sarasvati Civilization may

have moved into southern India also. Some believe that these

immigrants then founded Tamil kingdoms in the valley of the Kaveri

River. Indians preserved the memory of River Sarasvati by

worshipping her as a ‘Devi’, a Goddess Sarasvati who gives

knowledge and wisdom to humanity. Many features of that civilization,

like the chess, weight measures, fire altars, yogic postures, water

tanks, and many religious motifs like the ‘Namaste’ gesture for

greeting others have continued in the Hindu communities to this day.”

See:

Kenoyer, Jonathan M. 1998. Ancient Cities of the Indus Valley

Civilization. OUP: Karachi.

Shaffer, J.G. 1986. Cultural development in eastern Punjab. In J.

Jacobson (ed.), Studies in the Archaeology of India and Pakistan, pp.

195–235. New Delhi: Oxford & IBH Publishing Co.

Shaffer, J.G. and Lichtenstein, D.A. 1999. Migration, philology and

South Asian archaeology. In J. Bronkhorst and M.M. Deshpande

(eds), Aryan and Non-Aryan in South Asia – Evidence, Interpretation

and Ideology, pp. 239–60. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Oriental Series,

Opera Minora, Vol. 3, Harvard University.

See also: McIntosh, Jane R. 2002. A Peaceful Realm- The Rise and

Fall of the Indus Civilization. Westview Press: Boulder (Colorado)

McIntosh [2002:28] states –

“Continuing work along the course of the “lost Saraswati River”

system added further data to the picture that had already emerged of

the Saraswati as the civilization’s breadbasket. The now-dry Hakra

9

River forms part of this river system. Surveys along its dry bed

revealed that this was one of the most densely populated areas of the

3rd millennium, the agricultural heartland of the civilization, although it

is now virtually desert. The 19th century geographer R. D. Oldham

had already painstakingly surveyed and mapped the dry river courses

along much of the Saraswati system. His work has been reassessed

over recent years, using modern scientific aids such as satellite

photography, and the sequence and timing of the gradual drying up of

this river system caused by tectonic activity, is being worked out. As a

result, a powerful new explanation has been formulated for the demise

of the Indus Civilization: that the progressive desiccation of this region

played a significant part in the decline of Indus Civilization by

drastically reducing agricultural output in the heartland.”

Also missing are pictures of with the Pashupati seal and terracotta doll

in Namaste greeting pose as both of these artifacts have been

mentioned in the HSS framework.

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13 Picture of cows in a pile of garbage [Social Content Violation Category 1.10].

Current picture is derogatory to Hindus.

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15 THE CASTE SYSTEM evolved over many

years, but untouch-ables remained at the

bottom of Indian society. Untouchables did

work oth-ers considered “unclean,” such as

skinning animals and tanning hides for leather.

They were butchers, gravediggers, and waste

collectors, too. They were not allowed to live in

villages but instead built their huts on the


This is discriminatory and derogatory. Indic social system is not

presented on parity with how Christian and Muslim social systems are

described in their respective sections of the text.

The marginality of untouchability as a practice in ancient India (even

10

outskirts. Sometimes, Hindus would claim that

“purity laws” made it necessary to keep

untouchables separate from the rest of Indian

society

though it is elaborated considerably in the textbook which is supposed

to deal with a period before 600 AD) is summarized in a standard

work as follows:

“The Rgveda shows no knowledge of people who must not be

touched. Neither do the later Vedic texts give any indication of

untouchability, although tribal groups of Candalas and the Pulkasas

are mentioned with malice and revulsion. In the second phase,

extending up to AD 200, certain tribal groups like Candalas and the

Pulkasas emerge clearly as untouchables. The third phase being a

continuation of the second, throws up some more ethnic groups as

untouchables, but the peak is attained in the fourth phase from AD

600 to 1200 AD, when a number of occupational groups such as the

carmakaras and the rajakas are degraded to the untouchable status

and several new ethnic groups are added to the list.”

See Jaiswal, Suvira,. Caste: Origin, Function and Dimensions of

Change. Manohar Books: New Delhi (1998), Pp. 86-87

Therefore, the statement on untouchability in this chapter is

anachronistic.

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15 Cartoon "Lets keep in touch. Lets not" [Social Content Violation Category 1.10].

This is derogatory. Need to present Indic social systems on parity

with how Christian and Muslim social systems are described in their

respective sections of the text

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15 Picture of Gandhi [Social Content Violation Category 1.2 & 1.10].

See #25

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15 IN THE 1940S, the great Indian leader

Mohandas K. Gandhi, known as Mahatma


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(“Great Soul”), called on all Indians to stop the

harsh treatment of untouchables. He called

them Harijans, or “Children of God.” Because

of his and others’ efforts, the 1950 Indian con-

stitution outlawed discrimination against

Harijans. It also set aside places for them in

schools and gov-ernment. In 1997, K. R.

Narayana, a Harijan, was elected president of

India. However, customs change slowly,

especially in Indian villages, and many

Harijans still suffer.

The current text provides no context for the genesis of untouchability.

It also ignores the persistent efforts by Hindu sages to root out this

practice that is not mentioned or sanctioned in the Hindu scriptures.

The HSS framework also mentions these saints but the Harcourt draft

does not say anything.

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16 But there are important

differences between early

Hinduism, sometimes

called Brahmanism, and

later Hinduism. Early

Hinduism focused on

rituals and the search for

true reality (also called

Brahman). Modern

Hinduism, by contrast,

mostly centers on individ-ual worship of

multiple

gods that are believed

to be a part of Brahman.


Remove term Brahmanism which is rejected by the current HSS

Framework because it is colonial and demeaning to Hindus, and

because it does not have any standard definition

In addition, this is a completely false statement. Brahmanism is a

misleading term itself, and it is not clearly defined (the draft itself gives

two different connotations). Second, there is no clear-cut distinction

between the so called Brahmanism and later Hinduism. For instance,

a so called ‘Brahmanist’ passage says:

“They said: ‘Revered one, you are the teacher, you are the teacher.

What has been said has been duly fixed in mind by us. Now answer a

further question. Fire, air, sun, time, whatever it is, breath, food,

Brahma, Rudra, Vishnu- some meditate upon one, some meditate

upon another. Tell us- which one is the best for us?’ Then he replied

to them: “All these are merely the manifest/frontal forms of Brahman,

the Immmortal, the Formless. To whichever form each man is devoted

here, in the realm of that deity does that man rejoices. For it has been

12

said- ‘Verily, this whole is Brahman. Verily, these, which are its

manifest forms that one meditates on, worships and discards. For by

meditation upon these forms, one moves into higher and higher

realms. And when all things perish, he attains unity with the Purusha!”

Yajurveda, Maitrāyaṇīya Āraṇyaka 4.5-6

And then, a text of ‘later Hinduism’ states something similar, but with a

different emphasis:

Vajra asked Markandeya:

You have told me that the Supreme Being does not have any form,

odor, taste, sound or touch (the objects of the five senses0. Then how

can a form of Him be made?

Markandeya responded:

Prakriti and Vikriti are the two ‘Forms’ of Paramatman. The Form

which is not seen is called the Prakriti. The Form which is seen is

called the Vikriti and is the Universe. Worship and meditation etc. of

the Supreme Being are possible only the aid of His manifested form

(the Vikriti). Therefore, the Divine Form of the Supreme Being should

be worshipped with the appropriate rites. It is only with great difficulty

that living beings can apprehend the non-manifest nature of Brahman.

For this reason, out of his own free will, Brahman has assumed

various forms. These various forms, in the shape of Mūrtis, actually

point to Its different manifestations. Therefore, the scriptures enjoin

the worship of these manifested forms (Mūrtis) of the Supreme Being.

Vishnudharmottara Purana 3.46.1-6

2

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16 The process contin-ues until a person leads

such a good life

that the soul reaches perfection


The original text is simply inaccurate. As per Hindu scriptures, the

process continues until a person realizes their relationship with God.

13

The soul is always considered to be perfect and immutable as per the

Bhagawad Gita.

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16 god [Social Content Violation Category 1.2 & 1.10].

The CAPEEM lawsuit against the State of California noted that using

lower case for Hindu divinities is demeaning to the Hindu religion. The

court ruling acknowledged that using lower case ‘g’ is discriminatory.

2

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16,1

7

gods [Social Content Violation Category 1.2 & 1.10].

See #28

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16 godesses [Social Content Violation Category 1.2 & 1.10].

See #28

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17 Everything someone does in this life affects

that person’s position in a future life.


Factually inaccurate description of Karma as only impacting future

lives.

Kriyamana karma is one of the three main categories of karma

described in the Vedas and is sometimes referred to as future karma.

In general, karma is the effect that actions in past lives or the current

life have on the current or future lives of an individual. Kriyamana

karma, in particular, is that which is being created in the present life. It

is basically the concept that is popularly thought of when the term,

karma, is used in Western culture.

https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/8477/kriyamana-karma

14

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17


Hanuman is seen as a Diety in his own right. This picture is offensive

and inaccurate.

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4

17 THE RAMAYANA tells a story about

Hanuman, the mon-key god. He helps the

good king Rama rescue his wife, Sita, from the

evil demon Ravana. Here, Hanuman

expresses his devotion to Rama and Sita by

revealing they are in his heart


This is a really ridiculous way of describing the contents of a Hindu

scripture. The Ramayana revolves around Rama, and not around

Hanuman, who makes his first appearance towards the 4th of the 7

books of the text.

See Valmiki Ramayana or

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramayana

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19 After Indus Valley cities declined,

Vedic society grew up on the

banks of another great river – the

Ganges, which flows through

northeastern India. Called Ganga

in the Hindi language, the river

is so important to Indian life that

it is considered holy by many

Hindus


This comment leaves students assuming that that was the end of the

civilization and a brand new "Vedic" civilization came up near the

Ganges with no relation to the Harappa civilization. An alternate

theory (and conventionally accepted view) is that the drying up of the

Sarasvati River after 1900 BCE left most of the settlements of this

civilization without water. Most people therefore moved east towards

the Ganges, which still had a good supply of water. After several

centuries, the plains of the Ganges River became the new center of

15

the Indian Civilization. Numerous cities and kingdoms started arising

in that area after 900 BCE. Some people of the Indus Sarasvati

Civilization may have moved into southern India also. Some believe

that these immigrants then founded Tamil kingdoms in the valley of

the Kaveri River. Indians preserved the memory of River Sarasvati by

worshipping her as a ‘Devi’, a Goddess Sarasvati who gives

knowledge and wisdom to humanity. Many features of that civilization,

like the chess, weight measures, fire altars, yogic postures, water

tanks, and many religious motifs like the ‘Namaste’ gesture for

greeting others have continued in the Hindu communities to this day.”

See:

Kenoyer, Jonathan M. 1998. Ancient Cities of the Indus Valley

Civilization. OUP: Karachi.

Shaffer, J.G. 1986. Cultural development in eastern Punjab. In J.

Jacobson (ed.), Studies in the Archaeology of India and Pakistan, pp.

195–235. New Delhi: Oxford & IBH Publishing Co.

Shaffer, J.G. and Lichtenstein, D.A. 1999. Migration, philology and

South Asian archaeology. In J. Bronkhorst and M.M. Deshpande

(eds), Aryan and Non-Aryan in South Asia – Evidence, Interpretation

and Ideology, pp. 239–60. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Oriental Series,

Opera Minora, Vol. 3, Harvard University.

Further, Indus Valley is an outdated term stricken out in the revised

HSS content framework. The revised term is Indus-Sarasvati

3

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19 Discuss the significance of the Aryan

invasions.


Aryan invasion is a 50-year-old belief that has long been disproven

16

and removed from the HSS Framework. Further, it is not discussed in

the text.

3

7

19 Explain the major beliefs and

practices of Brahmanism in India and how they

evolved into early Hinduism


See #26

3

8

9


Unclear why a picture with Indra w/ eyes all over his body is shown w/

a physically impossible sword. The picture comes across as mocking

and is not a typical illustration of Indra. Further, Indra is not the “Indo-

Aryan god of war”. Rather, he is often referred to as either a Vedic

Diety or as the King of the Deva-s.

17

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9

[Social Content Violation Category 1.4, 1.5, 1.8 & 1.10].

The implied date for the authorship of the Vedas of 1,500 BCE is

inaccurate. The Vedas themselves state a significantly older date and

also provide evidence (geography, astronomy, etc) which provide

older dates.

18

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10-

11

[Social Content Violation Category 1.4, 1.5, 1.8 & 1.10].

Picture of obscure tribe that uses decoys of birds on their head

depicts Indians as exotic and weird. Further, the picture is stand-

alone, does not discuss the people or practices and so doesn’t

provide a detailed/accurate perspective. It does not show history as

well-told as it is dropped in w/o any substantiation. Time & place are

not emphasized.

4

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12-

13

[Social Content Violation Category 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.9].

The present picture privileges the Aryan migration theory and is

outdated in the light of current archaeological data.

Most archaeologists DO NOT believe in out of India origins of the

Vedic Aryans.

Moreover, the text fails to show continuity between Harappan culture

and later Hinduism.

Further, Hindus use multiple rivers (or other landmarks like ocean or

mountain along with rivers) to refer to regions/locations. For instance

Krishna-Godavari, Ganga-Yamuna. If internal consistency is to be

seen, the rise of Ganga in popular consciousness is enshrined in

Ramayana while fading of Saraswati is documented in Mahabharata.

So there is definitely a phase when both are known as civilizational

forces. In fact Saraswati represented two main functions – knowledge

and waters. Even in Mahabharata both are retained.

19

Also whereas Ganga in Ramayana represents consciousness and

water. Post Mahabharata period uses Ganga as symbol for water and

Saraswati for knowledge, which is a clear transformation.

Ref

https://padmavajrablog.wordpress.com/2017/06/11/vasi%e1%b9%a3

%e1%b9%adhas-stava-to-sarasvatifrom-the-mahabharata/

http://sanskritdocuments.org/mirrors/mahabharata/txt/mbh09.itx

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12 The people of this group tamed horses [Social Content Violation Category 1.4].

False. Archeological evidence has determined that horses were

tamed prior to the Indo-Aryans.

In the description of Neolithic sites (5-7th millennia BCE) of Mahagara

and Koldihawa in the eastern Gangetic basin (see reference at the

end), SHARIF and THAPAR [1992:151] state -

"The subsistence economy of these people was based upon both hunting and farming, as attested by the occurrence of both wild and domesticated cattle, sheep, goat and horse, and rice."

https://padmavajrablog.wordpress.com/2017/06/11/vasi%e1%b9%a3%e1%b9%adhas-stava-to-sarasvatifrom-the-mahabharata/

https://padmavajrablog.wordpress.com/2017/06/11/vasi%e1%b9%a3%e1%b9%adhas-stava-to-sarasvatifrom-the-mahabharata/

20

The same dates for the presence of domesticated horse at these sites

are given by THAPAR [1984] and G. R. SHARMA et al [1980].

GHOSH [1985:4] also confirms-

“In India, the earliest evidence for the domesticated horse occurs in c. 4500 B.C. at Bagor.”

See:

SHARIF, M. and THAPAR, B. K. 1992. "Food Producing communities

in Pakistan and northern India" (pg. 127-151) in vol. 1 of "History of

Civilizations of Central Asia" edited by A. H. Dani and V. M. Masson;

published by UNESCO Publishing: Paris.1992 (second impression in

1996)

THAPAR. B. K.1984. Fresh Light on the Neolithic Culture of India; JCA,

vol. 7, pg. 191-206

SHARMA G.R., MISHRA V. D., MANDAL, D., MISHRA, B. B. and

PAL, J N. 1980. Beginnings of Agriculture. Abinasha

Prakashan:Allahabad

GHOSH A. 1985. Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology, vol. I

(Subjects). Indian Council of Historical Research, Munshiram

Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd.: Delhi

21

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13


Offensive picture -- shows Cows as eating trash while discussing that

they are a sign of wealth. This picture depicts poverty.

4

4

15


Offensive cartoon depicting untouchability. Privileges negative

portrayal of Hindu/Indian social structure as compared to social

classes in other parts of the world

4

5

[Violates Evaluation Criterion 1.2]

The HSS Framework requires inclusion of the “Namaste Seal” from

the Harrapan Civilization archeological finds. This is missing

4

6

[Violates Evaluation Criterion 1.2, 1.5, 1.7]

22

The HSS Framework requires inclusion of alternate theories to the

Aryan migration theory and explicitly includes mention to “There is

another point of view that suggests that the language was indigenous

to India and spread northward”. This is missing.

4

7


The HSS framework requires discussion of Hindu sages expounding

the idea of the oneness of all living things and of Brahman as the

divine principle of being. This is missing

4

8


The HSS framework requires discussion of the idea of Brahman and it

manifestation in all Deities. This is missing

4

9


The HSS framework requires discussion / inclusion of verses from the

Bhumi sukta, Vedas or Upanishads. These are missing

5

0


The HSS framework requires discussion of the development of Vedic

teachings over time covering both spiritual and moral teachings that

form a key foundation of Hinduism as it is practiced today. This is

missing

5

1


The HSS framework requires a discussion on Yoga. This is missing

5

2


23

The HSS framework requires a discussion on the 4 purposes of life

(purursharatas) of Dharma, Artha, Kama Moksha. Only Dharma is

mentioned in the context of reincarnation and not in the context of the

4 purursharthas.

5

3


The HSS framework requires discussion of many of the central

practices of Hinduism today, including home and temple worship,

yoga and meditation, rites of passage (samskaras), festivals,

pilgrimage, respect for saints and gurus, and, above all, a profound

acceptance of religious diversity, developed over time. All of these

are missing

5

4

14 Eventually, there were people who did work no

one else would do; they were referred to as

untouchables and later known as Harijans or

Dalits.


There is no evidence of any untouchables the ancient Hindu society.

To draw out negatives that developed later-on in society is to

intentionally create adverse reflection to Hindu social structure.

For a detailed study, see:

R S Sharma. 2014. Sudras in Ancient India. Motilal Banarsidass: New

Delhi

5

5

14 When Europeans came to

India many centuries later, they

used the word caste to describe

the levels in India’s rigid

social system. Social mobility

also became more restricted


This is a very stereotypical and negative remark, because these rigid

customs were observed only in a few parts of India in late medieval

times (and certainly not in ancient times, which is what the textbook

concerns with).

24

over many centuries, as caste

became part of daily Indian life.

When the Europeans came to India, they could not understand the

complex social structure in India and incorrectly simplified it into

“caste” based on their limited understanding of the social structure

and some local rigidity they observed. In fact, it was no more or less

rigid in India than the European class system at the time. To call this

out here while not calling it out for Europe is adverse reflection.

One example of social mobility at the time is that of the Maheshwari

jati which started out as a kshatriya jati and later becoming vaishya jati

of traders, bankers, etc.

5

6

14 By the Middle Ages, caste mobility was all but

gone, and there existed many castes and

subcastes, each with its own rules. Over time,

caste often determined not only what work

people did but also what they ate and wore

and where they lived. It could even define

whom they mar-ried. People were l AT FIRST,

THE Vedas were open to all. Over time, some

priests assumed control over how to inter-pret

them. The control over reli-gious ceremonies

would later lead to Hindu reform movements.

Some movements even became their own

religions, like Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism.

born into their caste for life. From birth, the

children in each caste knew they would have

the same place in society their par-ents and

grand-parents had.


This section confuses varna, jati and caste. There was no such thing

as caste in the middle-ages as the caste terminology was introduced

by the Portuguese in the 18th century as they could not understand

the complex social structure they found in India

The term caste is not even an Indian word. According to the Oxford

English Dictionary, it is derived from the Portuguese casta, meaning

"race, lineage, breed" and, originally, "'pure or unmixed (stock or

breed)". There is no exact translation in Indian languages, but varna

and jati are the two most proximate terms

See

Theory of Varna, Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

25

Jaiswal, Suvira,. Caste: Origin, Function and Dimensions of Change.

Manohar Books: New Delhi (1998), Pp. 86-87

https://www.britannica.com/topic/caste-social-differentiation

Corbridge, Stuart; Harriss, John; Jeffrey, Craig (2013), India Today:

Economy, Politics and Society, John Wiley & Sons, ISBN 978-0-7456-

6535-1

5

7

15 OTHER (NON- Hindu) religious groups in India

eventually also had their own caste rules that

includ-ed higher and lower status. But many

Hindus and non-Hindus over the years tried to

change the caste system in India. Some

Hindu sects rejected the caste system, saying

caste divisions were not part of Hindu

teachings


Accuracy and clarity. Why make students guess who the other

religious groups are?

3

7

16 Hinduism developed slowly, over 3,500 years

in its Vedic phase, and it is still evolv-ing.


Presumes aa starting point for Hinduism of `1,500 BCE which is false.

Hindu texts describe and date events prior to this. Archeological

findings of the Indus-Sarasvati civilization have found seals, figurines

and other evidence of Hindu practices which certainly predate 1,500

BCE.

26

Appendix 2: HMH 6-8 citations referred to IQC recommendation to reject

# Pag

e #

Present text Evaluation Criteria violated & Academic Justification

33 198 “…Gupta temples were

topped by huge towers and

were

covered with carvings of the

god worshipped inside….”

[Violates criterion 1.2 and 1.10]

The HSS Framework recommends using Deities (with uppercase D) in lieu of gods and

goddesses, because the latter is disrespectful to Hindus.

The CAPEEM lawsuit against the State of California noted that using lower case for

Hindu divinities is demeaning to the Hindu religion. The court ruling acknowledged that

using lower case ‘g’ is discriminatory.

appendix 1: hmh k-6 citations referred to iqc ... · appendix 1: hmh k-6 citations referred to iqc...

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